diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 792d13a..e7b0299 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@commitlint/cli": "^17.8.1",
     "@commitlint/config-conventional": "^11.0.0",
+    "axios-retry": "^3.8.0",
     "axios": "^0.21.4",
     "biolink-model": "file:../biolink-model",
     "debug": "^4.3.4",
diff --git a/src/exceptions/sri_resolver_failiure.ts b/src/exceptions/sri_resolver_failiure.ts
index 9147754..837b565 100644
--- a/src/exceptions/sri_resolver_failiure.ts
+++ b/src/exceptions/sri_resolver_failiure.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
-export default class SRIResolverFailiure extends Error {
+export default class SRINodeNormFailure extends Error {
+
   constructor(message = 'SRI Resolver Failed.', ...params) {
     super(...params);
 
-    Object.setPrototypeOf(this, SRIResolverFailiure.prototype);
+    Object.setPrototypeOf(this, SRINodeNormFailure.prototype);
 
     if (Error.captureStackTrace) {
-      Error.captureStackTrace(this, SRIResolverFailiure);
+      Error.captureStackTrace(this, SRINodeNormFailure);
     }
 
-    this.name = 'SRIResolverFailiure';
+    this.name = 'SRINodeNormFailure';
     this.message = message;
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 43605f0..8f3109d 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { APIMETA } from './config';
 import generateInvalid from './fake';
 import { _resolveSRI } from './sri';
 import { _getAttributes } from './attrs';
-import SRIResolverFailiureImport from './exceptions/sri_resolver_failiure';
+import SRINodeNormFailureImport from './exceptions/sri_resolver_failiure';
 
 export * from './common/types';
 
@@ -45,4 +45,4 @@ export function generateInvalidBioentities(input) {
   return generateInvalid(input);
 }
 
-export const SRIResolverFailiure = SRIResolverFailiureImport;
+export const SRINodeNormFailure = SRINodeNormFailureImport;
diff --git a/src/sri.ts b/src/sri.ts
index 5ddc566..77560a9 100644
--- a/src/sri.ts
+++ b/src/sri.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,18 @@
 import axios from 'axios';
+import axiosRetry from 'axios-retry';
 import { CURIE } from './config';
 import { SRIResolverOutput, ResolverInput, SRIBioEntity, SRIResponseEntity, SRIResponse } from './common/types';
 import Debug from 'debug';
 import _ from 'lodash';
-import SRIResolverFailiure from './exceptions/sri_resolver_failiure';
+import SRINodeNormFailure from './exceptions/sri_resolver_failiure';
 const debug = Debug('bte:biomedical-id-resolver:SRI');
 
+/** sets up request retry policy (weird typescript b/c old axios version) */
+// @ts-ignore
+axiosRetry(axios, { retries: 3, retryDelay: axiosRetry.exponentialDelay, retryCondition: (err) => {
+    return axiosRetry.isNetworkOrIdempotentRequestError(err) || err.response?.status >= 500;
+} })
+
 /** convert object of arrays into array of unique IDs */
 function combineInputs(userInput: ResolverInput): string[] {
   const result = Object.keys(userInput).reduce(function (r, k) {
@@ -36,7 +43,7 @@ async function query(api_input: string[]) {
     });
     return Object.assign({}, ...res);
   } catch (err) {
-    throw new SRIResolverFailiure(`SRI resolver failed: ${err.message}`);
+    throw new SRINodeNormFailure(`SRI resolver failed: ${err.message}`);
   }
 }